The Myth of Media Bias

Ann Coulter’s recent flurry of mainstream media (MSM) appearances, which she has used to spread her hate-filled and intentionally provocative insanity, has me thinking about objectivity and balance in our mainstream press. It seems to be a commonly held belief that the MSM should be balanced and should present both sides to every story in an unbiased way. That we should be able to weigh those facts and come to our own conclusions. I think the nation is slowly coming to realize the extent of the imbalance that exists today: that the media are full of Hannitys, Coulters, Malkins, Limbaughs, Savages, O’Reillys, and Podhoretzs, and that there are no equivalent voices on the left. Michael Moore is sometimes pointed out, but when was the last time you saw him on TV? The MSM are way out-of-whack in the objectivity department.
My argument is that the MSM should be unbalanced.
Yes, I think you read that correctly. There is a natural and correct bias that should exist in our media. I believe that bias is essential if we Americans are to remain free. But that bias should be towards the LIBERAL end of the spectrum.
Think about it like this, and see if it makes sense to you: our national media exist to provide us with information about our government and our politicians, so that we can make the best decisions in our Representative Democracy. In order to do the best job of providing us with information, the media have to be independent of, and somewhat antagonistic towards, those in power. That’s because those in power are not always going to be willing to share. In fact, all those in power should be treated as completely unreliable. Everything they say should be questioned and verified.
Now, consider conservative philosophy. One of the highest conservative values is deep and consistent respect for authority. Truly, the definition of conservatism is basically the desire to maintain traditional values and class boundaries – especially those based on wealth and power. Everything conservatives do is aimed at maintaining power and wealth for those who already have them.
Is this the philosophy that you want in your press? Can conservatives be trusted to question our leaders until they arrive at the truth, or will they tend to support those in power, and work to sell the conservative agenda to the rest of us? Do I need to ask questions like this? Just look at Fox News.
What about the liberal end of the spectrum? Can they be trusted to question those in power? In short, the answer is yes. The liberal philosophy is based on notions of fundamental equality. Nobody is inherently better than anybody else. We liberals tend not to trust those in power, even Democrats. Also, the word liberal itself means ‘pertaining to freedom.’ Therefore, a primary value for a truly liberal press is providing us the information we need to remain free.
So, the next time you hear some wingnut complain about our ‘liberal media,’ just smile. Someday we’ll have just that, if we’re lucky.